SXSW Culture and Mission from a First-Time Attendee

SXSW started in 1987 with the film and music festival. It has since grown to encompass Interactive/social media and brings more than 17,000 people from around the globe to Austin, Texas, read more background here. The people who come to this event are as diverse as the event itself. I have met a lot of people from England, other European countries and all over the U.S. There are  celebrities in the traditional sense as well as social media celebrities such as Sarah Evans and Chris Brogan. The events and sessions are also as diverse as the attendees themselves, which makes perfect sense. I have attended topics on how to set up a business,the E-food revolution and very specific topics such as open source video. To be honest though, my favorite part of the event is the culture. I have been referring to the entire event as SXSW Camp. 

I think back to my summers spent at camp and the energy and excitement that I would experience. SXSW feels very similar to the culture I can remember. The kind of culture you can only achieve through a large group of like-minded people working toward a similar goal. The mission or goal of SXSW is to better the planet through technology. This mission is felt throughout panel discussions, keynote presentations and lounge designs. A couple good examples of this environmental, sustainable culture are the keynote presentation by Valerie Casey and the Aol Seed lounge. 

The other large part of the culture is this idea of policing the social media space and making sure we're all acting responsibly. Social media is not new any more, it's constantly evolving, therefore we need to make sure we're using it responsibly. There are many examples, good and bad about the use of social media for business and personal use. The keynote on Saturday, Privacy and Publicity by Danah Boyd talked about how privacy still exists even with the rise of social media and it is the responsibility of everyone involved in this space to respect this. Just because we're all using the Internet and much of our lives are being recorded on sites like Facebook and Twitter does not mean that everyone is entitled to our personal information. Just because something is public (on the Internet and shared with friends) does not mean that it can be publicized. This was a very interesting keynote presentation.

All in all, the event culture has surprised me and it's what will pull me back again next year. 

#SXSW with @JessDennis and @lisaredshoespr

Day two of the conference down in Austin, Texas. I have to admit my love affair with Texas continues and in particular, Austin. It's been an intense two days of learning but we wanted to get down a few thoughts on some social media highlights to share. Here's a list to ponder:

 1) Put some flexibility back into that rigid social media plan. It's all about experimenting and seeing what your customers respond to.

2) Watch out desk top computers ... you are on your way out. Mobile technology is coming up right behind you and poised to take over.

3)  Keep an eye on that Backchannel... What's that you say? That's the conversation taking place online while you are up there speaking. Do you respond? Do you acknowledge the backchannel conversation? Presenters need to monitor and respond in real time.

4) It's no longer acceptable to say you don't know the regulations of social media. It's come a long way baby and it's time to read up on FTC regulations.

5)  Privacy is not dead. People care about it more than ever. Privacy is about having control over information so make sure you offer opt-in/opt out. And don't mess with people's perceptions of privacy.

Small business and social media: How's that working for you?

13 Reasons Why Your Company Needs PR

1. You think the copy you wrote for the Web content will work for a news release

2. People are talking about your company online and you just found out

3. Your competitors are kicking your booty with media coverage

4. Your company offers the best product or service ever, but no one knows about it ... or for that matter, knows about your company

5. When a prospect Googles your company, your competitor shows up at the top of the search

6. You are still faxing news releases

7. You can't figure out why the media isn't interested in your story idea

8. You have no idea how to engage online

9. During the interview with a business editor you cross your fingers and hope for the best

10. Even though your industry is taking a beating online, and in the media, you think it won't impact your sales

11. You think social media is for B2C companies

12. Your blog content focuses on how great your company/products/services are

13. You think because you are a "people person" you should be able to handle PR

Take a business breather by giving

Check presentation at Geegan for penny drive from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

It's always great when a plan comes together. After Haiti's earthquake, we at Red Shoes PR felt compelled to give. And after @tommytrc and Mrs. Tommytrc told us about the penny drive going on at Gegan Elementary, we decided to pull our resources together.

In a matter of weeks, with a little bit of help from us at Red Shoes PR, Gegan Elementary school in Menasha raised $2,000 to donate to our local American Red Cross Chapter. Prospera Credit Union counted up the thousands of pennies. Simple Simon Bakery generously donated dozens of cookies for the winning kindergartners and Appleton Sign helped out with a giant-sized check -- which the boys and girls oooo'ed and ahhhhh'ed about!

Yes, we could have just written a check. But all of us working together to better the world in our own little way has huge rewards. It provided all of us at Red Shoes PR the opportunity to get out of the office, see how we could impact others and see firsthand the joy on all of the childrens' faces.That's worth its weight in gold.

Red Shoes Speak No. 16: Olympic Tape Delays

Red Shoes Speak No. 16: Olympic Tape Delays from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Jess Dennis and Tommytrc discuss the 2010 Winter Olympics and how social media is negatively affecting tape delays in programming. Can networks like NBC continue to control when live events are aired and whether participants can discuss the proceedings in their social networks? Are the big networks acting as gatekeepers and trying to control the message? Control freaks or not, discuss on Twitter using the hashtag #redshoesspeak.

Red Shoes Speak No. 15: Digital Hoarding

Red Shoes Speak No. 15: Digital Hoarding from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Are you a digital hoarder? Tommy and Jess discuss how Gmail and cloud computing have changed the way we store and search for information. Is Google changing the way individuals will file information forever? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter using the hash tag #redshoesspeak.

Red Shoes Speak No. 14 Kevin Smith & Soutwest Air Crisis Communication

Red Shoes Speak No. 14 Kevin Smith & Soutwest Air Crisis Communication from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) was asked to step off a Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) flight on Feb. 13, 2010 due to his size. With over 1.6 million followers, Smith’s Tweets about the situation quickly hit mainstream media and blew up in social media. The Southwest Twitter account responded very quickly and appropriately with multiple apologies. As companies continue to engage in social media, how do they prevent or respond to crisis situations such as this? Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash tag #redshoesspeak.

Red Shoes Speak No. 13: Toyota's Crisis Communications Mishap

Red Shoes Speak No. 13 Toyota's Crisis Communications Mishap from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

 

Red Shoes Speak No 12: Positive Influences on Twitter

Red Shoes Speak No 12: Positive Influences on Twitter from Jessica Dennis on Vimeo.

Does it feel like people are too positive on twitter and social media in general? Do you gravitate to people who are positive in nature? Is your glass half empty or half full? Lisa and Tommy discuss this social media topic in this weeks Red Shoes Speak. #redshoesspeak